"primaries and caucuses are staggered generally between January and June before the federal election, with Iowa and New Hampshire traditionally holding the first presidential state caucus and primary, respectively. Like the general election, presidential caucuses or primaries are indirect elections. The major political parties officially vote for their presidential candidate at their respective nominating conventions, usually all held in the summer before the federal election. Depending on each state's law and state's political party rules, when voters cast ballots for a candidate in a presidential caucus or primary, they may be voting to award delegates ""bound"" to vote for a"
"United States presidential primary The presidential primary elections and caucuses held in the various states, the District of Columbia, and territories of the United States form part of the nominating process of candidates for United States presidential elections. The United States Constitution has never specified the process; political parties have developed their own procedures over time. Some states hold only primary elections, some hold only caucuses, and others use a combination of both. These primaries and caucuses are staggered, generally beginning sometime in January or February, and ending about mid-June before the general election in November. State and local governments"
"Held in the state of New Hampshire, it usually marks the beginning of the U.S. presidential election process. Even though few delegates are chosen from New Hampshire, the primary has always been pivotal to both New England and American politics. One college in particular, Saint Anselm College, has been home to numerous national presidential debates and visits by candidates to its campus. Local factories and diners are valuable photo opportunities for candidates, who hope to use this quintessential New England image to their advantage by portraying themselves as sympathetic to blue collar workers. Media coverage of the primary enables candidates"
"a way to measure popular opinion of candidates, as opposed to the opinion of the bosses. Florida enacted the first presidential primary in 1901. The Wisconsin direct open primary of 1905 was the first to eliminate the caucus and mandate direct selection of national convention delegates. In 1910, Oregon became the first state to establish a presidential preference primary, which requires delegates to the National Convention to support the winner of the primary at the convention. By 1912, twelve states either selected delegates in primaries, used a preferential primary, or both. By 1920 there were 20 states with primaries, but"
"and Minnesota. The Iowa caucuses in early January of leap years are the first votes in the presidential nominating process for both major parties, and attract enormous media attention. Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the American Midwest, Middle West, or simply the Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as ""Region 2""). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It was officially named the North Central Region by the Census Bureau until 1984. It is located between the Northeastern United States and the"
"state primary election in the presidential process, and since 1972, Iowa has held the first caucuses in the presidential nominating process. Other states followed in nearly random order, as determined by the individual state legislatures. Originally, the New Hampshire primary was held in mid-March of the election year, and the Iowa caucuses a week or two earlier. The final primary elections would typically be held the first or second Tuesday in June, completing the initial stage of the election process about five weeks before the first presidential nominating convention. For decades, this was considered a desirable system. Having two small"
"run the primary elections, while caucuses are private events that are directly run by the political parties themselves. A state's primary election or caucus is usually an indirect election: instead of voters directly selecting a particular person running for president, they determine the number of delegates each party's national convention will receive from their respective state. These delegates then in turn select their party's presidential nominee. The first state in the United States to hold its presidential primary was New Hampshire in 1920. Each party determines how many delegates it allocates to each state. Along with those ""pledged"" delegates chosen"
"presidential nominee since 1888, although vote-splitting last allowed Woodrow Wilson to win a plurality there in 1912. , this is the last election in which Rockingham County, Belknap County, and Carroll County voted for the Democratic candidate. New Hampshire hosts the first primary in the nation. A state law that was passed in 1975 required that the date be set at least one week before any other similar contest. The Iowa caucuses are the only delegate-choosing event before the New Hampshire primary, but since Iowa hosts caucuses, not primaries, that is not seen as violating the law. The purpose of"
"Maine and Vermont were the only two states in the nation to vote against Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt all four times he ran for president. Republicans in New England are today considered by both liberals and conservatives to be more moderate (socially liberal) compared to Republicans in other parts of the U.S. Historically, the New Hampshire primary has been the first in a series of nationwide political party primary elections held in the United States every four years. Held in the state of New Hampshire, it usually marks the beginning of the U.S. presidential election process. Even though few delegates"
"perform better than expected. The Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary have produced a number of headline-making upsets in history: South Carolina is generally the ""First in the South"" primary. For the Republicans, it is considered a ""firewall"" to protect establishment favorites and frontrunners in the presidential nomination race, being designed to stop the momentum of insurgent candidates who could have received a boost from strong showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. From its inception in 1980 through the election of 2008, the winner of the South Carolina Republican presidential primary has gone on to win the nomination. In the"
"requirements; it would never even need to be reported."" The presidential election process is controversial, with critics arguing that it is inherently undemocratic, and discourages voter participation and turnout in many areas of the country. Because of the staggered nature of the primary season, voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and other small states which traditionally hold their primaries and caucuses first in January usually have a major impact on the races. Campaign activity, media attention, and voter participation are usually higher in these states, as the candidates attempt to build momentum and generate a bandwagon effect in these early primaries."
"compete, and a national primary on February 5th will not do that."" National Presidential Primary Homepage National primary A national primary is a proposed system for conducting the United States presidential primaries and caucuses, such that all occur on the same day (not currently the case). The first bill for a national primary was introduced in Congress by Representative Richard Hobson of Alabama in 1911. President Woodrow Wilson endorsed the concept. Since that time 125 similar bills have been introduced. Support was strong in 1913 with the Senate discussing the plan for an hour and deciding that there was general"
"Primary elections in the United States Primary elections in the United States are elections in which the candidates for a particular office at federal, state or local level are chosen by registered voters in a particular jurisdiction. This includes the presidential primary, which nominates candidates for the presidential election. After the preliminary primary election, a general election is held to fill the office with one of the candidates chosen in the primary election. The United States is one of few countries to select candidates through popular vote in a primary election system; most countries rely on party leaders to vet"
"termed ""Obamacare"" by its opponents, as well as government spending as a whole. The primary has become one of several key early state nominating contests in the process of choosing the nominee of the Republican Party for the election for President of the United States. It has historically been more important for the Republican Party than for the Democratic Party; from its inception in 1980, until the nomination of Mitt Romney in 2012, the winner of the Republican presidential primary had gone on to win the nomination. As of 2012, the primary has cemented its place as the ""First in"
"White primaries White primaries were primary elections held in the Southern United States in which only white voters were permitted to participate. Statewide white primaries were established by the state Democratic Party units or by state legislatures in South Carolina (1896), Florida (1902), Mississippi and Alabama (also 1902), Texas (1905), Louisiana and Arkansas (1906), and Georgia (1908). The white primary was one method used by white Democrats to disenfranchise most black and other minority voters. They also passed laws and constitutions with provisions to raise barriers to voter registration, completing disenfranchisement from 1890 to 1908 in all states of the"
"rural, and wealthier than the national average, and neither is in the fast-growing West or South. Conversely, states that traditionally hold their primaries in June, like California (the most populous state overall) and New Jersey (the most densely populated state), usually end up having no say in who the presidential candidate will be. As stated above, the races were usually over well before June. California and New Jersey moved their primaries to February for the 2008 election, but in 2012 both states ended up moving them back to June. California lawmakers stated that consolidating their presidential and statewide primary election"
"New Hampshire primary The New Hampshire primary is the first in a series of nationwide party primary elections and the second party contest (the first being the Iowa Caucuses) held in the United States every four years as part of the process of choosing the delegates to the Democratic and Republican national conventions which choose the party nominees for the presidential elections to be held the subsequent November. Although only a few delegates are chosen in the New Hampshire primary, its real importance comes from the massive media coverage it receives (along with the first caucus in Iowa). Spurred by"
"National primary A national primary is a proposed system for conducting the United States presidential primaries and caucuses, such that all occur on the same day (not currently the case). The first bill for a national primary was introduced in Congress by Representative Richard Hobson of Alabama in 1911. President Woodrow Wilson endorsed the concept. Since that time 125 similar bills have been introduced. Support was strong in 1913 with the Senate discussing the plan for an hour and deciding that there was general support for President Wilson's reforms. In 1915, Senator Atlee Pomerene of Ohio, Chairman of the sub-committee"
"during the New Hampshire primary (the first primary election in the U.S. presidential nomination process). In a tradition that started in the 1960 election, all the eligible voters in Dixville Notch gather at midnight in the ballroom of The Balsams. The voters cast their ballots and the polls are officially closed when all of the registered voters have voted - sometimes merely one minute later. The results of the Dixville Notch vote in both the New Hampshire primary and the general election are traditionally broadcast around the country immediately afterwards. A similar tradition in the town of Hart's Location in"
"election regardless of party. The effect of this is that it will be possible for two Republicans or two Democrats to compete against each other in a general election if those candidates receive the most primary-election support. In the United States, Iowa and New Hampshire have drawn attention every four years because they hold the first caucus and primary election, respectively, and often give a candidate the momentum to win their party's nomination. A criticism of the current presidential primary election schedule is that it gives undue weight to the few states with early primaries, as those states often build"
"presidential candidate's first test of national electability. More delegates can be won on Super Tuesday than on any other single day of the primary calendar, thus convincing wins during this day have usually propelled candidates to their party's nomination. Because they are the states that traditionally hold their respective contests first, the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary usually attract the most media attention; however, critics, such as Mississippi Secretary of State Eric Clark and Tennessee Senator William Brock, point out that these states are not representative of the United States as a whole: they are overwhelmingly white, more"
"presidential primary was held on Tuesday, March 20, 1956. The fourth Minnesota presidential primary was held on Tuesday, April 7, 1992. The closed primary was binding for the Independent- Republicans Party, but for the Democratic Farmer Labor Party it was only a ""beauty contest"" as the DFL awarded its delegates at a March 3 caucuses. Minnesota presidential primary A Minnesota presidential primary has been held four times: 1916, 1952, 1956 and 1992. The state of Minnesota normally holds presidential caucuses instead. On May 22, 2016 Governor Dayton signed a bill that will reinstate a presidential primary starting in 2020. The"
"held primary elections to decide major nominees for the general election. California held a nonpartisan blanket primary to select nominees, while the other 35 states held partisan primaries. Nominations were contested except in Democratic primaries in Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Alaska and in Republican primaries in New Mexico, Iowa, Maryland, New Hampshire, and New York. Runoff elections, because the primary did not yield a candidate winning the state-required minimum share of the vote, were held for Republican nominations in South Carolina, Georgia, and Oklahoma as well as for the Democratic nomination in Texas, four of the ten states with a"
"the United States hosted its primaries in California and the District of Columbia. California additionally held primaries for the American Independent Party and the Peace and Freedom Party. Super Tuesday In the United States, Super Tuesday, in general, refers informally to one or more Tuesdays early in a United States presidential primary season when the greatest number of U.S. states hold primary elections and caucuses. More delegates to the presidential nominating conventions can be won on Super Tuesday than on any other single day of the primary calendar. Since Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses are typically held in a large"
"Minnesota presidential primary A Minnesota presidential primary has been held four times: 1916, 1952, 1956 and 1992. The state of Minnesota normally holds presidential caucuses instead. On May 22, 2016 Governor Dayton signed a bill that will reinstate a presidential primary starting in 2020. The first Minnesota presidential primary was held on Tuesday, March 14, 1916. Along with the Democratic and Republican parties, the Prohibition Party also held a primary. The Progressive Party (Bull Moose) was eligible to hold an election but no candidates filed. The second Minnesota presidential primary was held on Tuesday, March 18, 1952. The third Minnesota"
"of the vote. As of February 5, 2016, there were 882,959 registered voters, of whom 389,472 (44.1%) did not declare a political party affiliation, 262,111 (29.7%) were Republican, and 231,376 (26.2%) were Democratic. New Hampshire is internationally known for the New Hampshire primary, the first primary in the quadrennial American presidential election cycle. State law requires that the Secretary of State schedule this election at least one week before any ""similar event."" However, the Iowa caucus has preceded the New Hampshire primary. This primary, as the nation's first contest that uses the same procedure as the general election, draws more"
"Historically, the presidential primary season started slowly, ramping up several weeks after the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. In the 2008 Presidential primary season, with competition to increase the relevance of each state's selection process, 34 states (plus the District of Columbia), have scheduled their primary or caucus process to be held in January and February, tripling the number of states voting this early than the count in the 2000 races. The interregional plan would prevent any cost savings from travel or common media markets. Each primary date would be national in geographic scope. This is directly counter"
"as is done in a presidential primary election. Along with the New Hampshire primary the following week, Iowa's caucuses have become the starting points for choosing the two major-party candidates for president. The national and international media give Iowa and New Hampshire extensive attention, which gives Iowa voters leverage. Those who enter the caucus race often expend enormous effort to reach voters in each of Iowa's 99 counties. In the 19th century Iowa was among the earliest states to enact prohibitions against race discrimination, especially in education, but was slow to achieve full integration in the 20th century. In the"
"Mondale in 1984 in an election where Ronald Reagan won every other state. Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin also often favor Democratic candidates. However, beginning with the 2010 midterm elections, Republicans experienced substantial gains in state legislative and executive offices in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. This trend has continued through 2016. Minnesota is the only Midwestern state with a Democratic governor, Mark Dayton. Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign made significant in-roads in the Upper Midwest. Trump won the electoral votes of Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, and South Dakota, leaving Illinois and Minnesota the sole Blue States in the Upper"
"since 1920). As a result, the state has moved its primary earlier in the year to remain the first. The primary was held on the following dates: 1952-1968, second Tuesday in March; 1972, first Tuesday in March; 1976–1984, fourth Tuesday in February; 1988–1996, third Tuesday in February; 2000, first Tuesday in February (February 1); 2004, fourth Tuesday in January (January 27). The shifts have been to compete with changing primary dates in other states. The primary dates for 2008 (January 8) and 2012 (January 10) continued the trend - they were held the second Tuesday in January both years. Before"
"numbers of delegates to the national conventions were elected in presidential preference primaries. Primary elections were advocated by the progressive faction of the Republican Party, which wanted to break the control of political parties by bosses. Altogether, twelve states held Republican primaries. Robert M. La Follette won two of the first four primaries (North Dakota and Wisconsin). Beginning with his runaway victory in Illinois on April 9, however, Roosevelt won nine of the last ten presidential primaries (in order, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Oregon, Maryland, California, Ohio, New Jersey, and South Dakota), losing only Massachusetts to Taft. As a sign of"
"campaigns after poor showings in the New Hampshire primary. New Hampshire started holding a primary in 1916 and has held the First in the Nation primary since 1920. At first voters could only vote on delegates to send the party national conventions. It was Richard F. Upton, speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, who amended the law to allow for direct vote of presidential candidates. In 1952 New Hampshire voters started voting for the candidates. This new law inspired the voters of New Hampshire to write in Dwight D. Eisenhower name as a candidate for the 1952 Republican"
"on the environment; urban development and sprawl; the needs of an increasingly diverse population; large income disparities between wealthy and disadvantaged areas; and a perceived disconnect between the rural central and southern areas of the state and Wilmington and the urbanized corridor in the north, home to the bulk of the state's population. Delaware's situation with respect to the Presidential Primary Election changed between 2000 and 2008. Delaware's Primary is held ""on the first Tuesday in February in the calendar year of a presidential election."" In 2000, Delaware was the sole state to have a primary on February 1, while"